"But make no mistake. Moving churches in the West toward a trinitarian model of church life will involve a major paradigm shift away from our pervasive individualistic ways of thinking. Many Christians have bought into the cultural notion that religion is an individual, private matter and assume they can believe without belonging. We have to say to them, 'When you believed in Christ, whether you were aware of it or not, you entered into the fellowship of Father, Son and Holy Spirit, and the fellowship of every other Christian who is a part of that triune fellowship. Now you belong to everyone else who belongs. Your faith may be individual, but it’s not personal except in relationship. In fact, you are only truly you in relationship to others.' When we insist they are connected and call them to concrete relationships and practices that reflect their connectedness, we should expect resistance. Though people long for community, many are unwilling to count the cost necessary for it."
quotation from p.39-40 Ministry in the image of God : the trinitarian shape of Christian service / by Seamands, Stephen A., 1949-
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